Wonderful Indonesia: Pawon Luwak Coffee near Borobudur

My recent visit to Yogyakarta, Indonesia has been a perfect blend of chill and thrill, nature and nourish. This country in undeniably breathtaking, and consistently emerging itself as a holiday destination in Asia. More than being a backpacker haven and a recommended diving spot in Asia, Indonesia has more hidden gems waiting to be discovered, and one of them is the Borobudur region.

Borobudur

One of the few stops during our tour in the country is the Borobudur, where we’ve experienced the utmost peace and visited Java’s biggest Buddhist temple. Borobudur is billed as Indonesia’s most important center for Buddhism, and as expected, we were welcomed with lush surroundings, mountains, and temples.

Andog Village Tour from Borobudur Temple

The rest of the trip continues as we headed for our next stop which was a nearby village for a short immersive tour. We’ve met some locals and we get to immerse in their everyday lives. From there, special transportation called Andong surprised us.

In the early days, Andong used to be a horse cart with a four-wheel. Before, it used by the royal people like King and its relatives as it symbolizes for social status of the Priyayi or noble person. Nowadays, Andong is almost everywhere and it even became one of the attractions in Borobudur and Yogyakarta.

Borobudur and its otherworldly landscapes

Before we headed to the Pawon temple, we stumbled upon a house of a local Tahu maker where our guide us a short tour and explained to us the traditional way of making Tahu (tofu). We also visited a local cane sugar factory that produces sugar cone which is very similar to how our Sangkaka (molded molasses) is being made.

Tahu Maker (Tofu)local cane sugar factory

Then, there’s the captivating Pawon Temple which is just a few steps away from the Tahu factory. Pawon, which is said to be built with a volcanic stone is a Buddhist temple located between two other Buddhist temples, Borobudur and Mendut. Pawon is connected with the other two temples, all of which were built during the Sailendra dynasty. According to history, it is a place where they keep King Indra’s (guardian deity in Buddhism) weapon namely Vajranala.

Pawon Temple

The temple is also surrounded by several souvenir shops where you can buy local handicrafts like wood carvings, masks, ref magnet, bags, Indonesian puppet, batik products and more.

Lotus Flower at Pawon TemplePawon Temple Souvenir Shops

If you’re feeling spontaneous at the moment, you can visit the Chicken Church – or Gereja Ayam in Bahasa, which is located close to the famous Borobudur viewpoint in Setumbu Hill.

The Kopi Luwak

Few steps away from the Pawon temple, we visited a local coffee shop that process and sells civet coffee called Kopi Luwak. Have you ever heard of the most expensive coffee in the world? Yes, we’re very fortunate to have witnessed it first-hand.

The Original Pawon Luwak Coffee

As a coffee lover myself, it’s amazing to gain more insights and have a closer look on how this type of coffee is processed using an uncommon method, and how it shaped their local coffee culture. Locally known as Kopi Luwak, Civet Coffee Beans are partially digested coffee cherries, eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). It may sound gross at first, but that’s what makes it unique and authentic.

Kopi Luwak

As the process goes, fermentation occurs as the cherries pass through a civet’s intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. The excreted beans are collected washed dried and roasted and ground to powder.

Sun Dried Civet Coffee in Indonesia

Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection – civets choosing to eat only certain cherries – and digestion – biological or chemical mechanisms in the animal’s digestive tract altering the composition of the coffee cherries.

Civet Cat inside Pawon Luwak Coffee Shop

Pawon Luwak Coffee company has a good relationship with the local farmers which according to them are located 200 kilometers away from Borobudur. They dry the collected feces and dry under the sun for about 3-5 days depending on the weather and then they wash the beans. After washing, they peel the skin manually with the traditional method. They roast the beans for 4 hours with a temperature of 120 degrees.

Freshly Brewed Civet Coffee

Luwak Coffee has two types. The Arabica and Robusta. They come from different plantations to easily identify which is Arabica and which is Robusta. Arabica beans tend to have a sweeter, softer taste, with tones of sugar, fruit, and berries. Their acidity is higher, with that winey taste that characterizes coffee with excellent acidity. Robusta, however, has a stronger, harsher taste, with a grain-like overtone and peanutty aftertaste.

The Coffee Shop has a garden with real coffee plans and real civet animal but they are just for display and as a pet.

Price of Luwak Coffee

Depending on which plantation it comes from, it is graded as robusta and arabica coffee with its own specific taste. It’s IDR250,000 (USD18) for a small packet of 100 gms of Robusta and IDR400,000 (USD28) for 100 grams of Arabica.

Benefits of Luwak Coffee

Luwak Coffee is expensive due to some reasons – health benefits to human! A lot of coffee expert says that Civet Coffee or Kopi Luwak for locals is the best coffee in the world. Apart from its good flavor, it has a lot of benefits too and here are some of the benefits of drinking Luwak Coffee:

Civet Coffee can help you in treating nerve disease

Civet Coffee contains a substance that gives our teeth a layer of anti-bacteria which protect our teeth from decay.

Civet Coffee can reduce the risk of Breast Cancer

Civet Coffee reduces the risk of skin cancer

Helps control diabetes

Keeps gallstone diseases under check

Good for ulcer patients

This Luwak Coffee is just a portion of why Indonesia is impossible to resist. Book your flight soon and have an elusive retreat in this beautiful country.

Melo Villareal is the Online Publisher of Outoftownblog.com. He is an Accountant by profession who left the corporate world at the age of 23 to explore his beautiful country and the rest of the world. Today, Melo works as a part-time Social Media Manager for local and international clients. His full-time work focuses on discovering interesting culture, explore different cuisines and take memorable photos from local and international destinations he's visiting.